Personal Injury

If you or your loved ones have been hurt or even killed due to the negligence of another, you may be eligible to receive compensation from the parties responsible.

Why Matthews Eastmoore?

We have years of experience litigating all types of personal injury cases. You may be litigating against a hospital or an insurance company, in which case you will need experienced attorneys on your side.

Common Examples of Personal Injury Claims

You or a loved one may have a claim for a personal injury caused in any of the following ways:

Auto accidents

Construction accidents

Slip and fall

Medical malpractice

Motorcycle accidents

Product liability

Workplace accidents

Personal Injury Law Suits

In order to win a personal injury lawsuit, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant breached a duty owed to him and that the defendant’s breach caused the plaintiff’s damages. The key question in most personal injury suits is whether the defendant was negligent.

Negligence

The law requires everyone to be reasonably prudent and careful in their actions. For example, when driving, this means exercising caution and noticing the drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians around you on the street. Using a negligence theory means asserting that the defendant was not exercising adequate care in his or her actions, and this lack of care caused damage to the plaintiff.

Negligence can be either an act or an omission. In the case of an auto accident, negligence can mean acting by driving in a reckless manner, or by failing to act, such as not stopping at a stop sign. In a negligence case, you and your attorney will need to prove that the defendant was negligent, and that negligence caused your injuries.

Damages

If the defendant is found liable, he or she may owe compensation for the damage caused to the plaintiff. These awards are usually one of two types, compensatory damages and punitive damages.

Compensatory

Compensatory damages for the injured party may include compensation for physical and emotional pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium, as well as compensation for lost wages and to pay medical bills, both in the past and in the future.

Punitive

In some cases, punitive damages may also be awarded. Punitive damages punish the defendant and discourage him or her, and others, from engaging in that type of behavior in the future.

Who May Sue

The plaintiff in a personal injury suit is usually the person who sustained the injuries and, potentially, his or her spouse. In some cases, another party can be designated to represent the injured person, for example if the victim is a child or has a mental impairment. If the victim has died as a result of the injury, a wrongful death action is brought by the personal representative of the deceased who sues on behalf of the decedent’s survivors who have suffered damages caused by the death. Immediate family members, such as parents, spouses, children, and dependents, may receive compensation as a result of the damages they suffer.

When You May Sue

There are legal limitations on the amount of time that can pass between the victim suffering injury and initiating a lawsuit.

For personal injury lawsuits that are caused by negligence in the State of Florida, that time limit is four years.

For medical malpractice, the statute of limitations requires victims to sue within two years of the date on which they discover, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury.

For wrongful death, the statute of limitations requires that a wrongful death suit be filed within two years of the death.

There are few exceptions, so it is best to consult with a lawyer before your case gets near the deadline.

Consulting with an experienced attorney after a personal injury can be very helpful. The attorneys at Matthews Eastmoore can evaluate your claim and help you understand your options. Call us today at 941-366-8888 or schedule a free consultation.

“Patricia Crauwels and Margaret Good represented our company very capably, and presented a compelling case in our recent jury trial. In fact, the jury found in our favor and dismissed the notion that we bore any liability due to this event (which was, frankly, unexpected). This was due to the excellent plan and hard work they both put forth on our behalf. We were very pleased with the outcome and would recommend Matthews Eastmoore for legal needs your company may have.Kudos and thanks, too, to Alisa Vizcarra, who organized us all and communicated with pleasant professionalism over the past 18 months.”

– Rick Krieger

“The best attorney’s in south west FL will leave no stone unturned in finding justice a pleasure to work with and just all around great people would highly recommend to anyone needing personal injury attorney.“

– Alva graber

“Used services of this law firm back in 2012. Have been tried two different attorneys before. Based on my previous experiences I can say they did a good job in my case. If you like me having a tough personal injury case – that’s the firm in Sarasota area to call.”

– Biller Reinhart

Call Us

Contact Our Team of Experienced Attorneys

The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form. We do not undertake representation of your claims until all parties involved have entered into a signed agreement. If we have not entered into a signed agreement with you, you may want to speak with other attorneys regarding your claims since statutes of limitations may apply.